SEMINAR: Construction and Infrastructure in the Philippines at the Turn of the Sixteenth Century

Infrastructure and construction are the two physical aspects of village life discussed in this seminar. Roads and trails, where they existed, were located near or within towns since the lack of wheeled vehicles and the availability of waterways for easy travel by boat made these unsuited and undesirable for long distance travel. For towns to be viable, they needed supplies of fresh water for drinking and clean water for cooking. A location near natural springs or shallow sources of water for access by wells was essential. Construction required both wood and tools and those with the expertise to use them. The wood of magnificent trees supplied the material for posts and beams, and the grasses, palms and bamboo the material for cladding. Temporary structures were built in the fields or in the forest to provide shelter, and in the trees for defense, but it was the house which provided a permanent home. Discussed are the parts of the house and its construction from planning and measurement to completion. Emphasis will also be on the sources which provided the needed information, and on an explanation of the linguistic changes needed to relate terms across languages.